California Telecaster Review

The California Squire Tele was made in 2004. It has a rosewood fretboard and has a agathis body that doesn't sound too bad.

Features:	6.5
Sound:	7.5
Action:	6.5
Reliability:	9
Impression:	7.5
Overall rating:	7.4
Users rating:	6.2
Comments:	13

overall: 7

Featured review by: croc76, on october 18, 2006

Price paid: $ 127.072

Purchased from: Rajen Music

Features: The California Squire Tele was made in 2004. It has a rosewood fretboard and has a agathis body that doesn't sound too bad. The neck has a good feel and is easy to play anything on ranging from rythm to slide and lead it's also good to tap songs on like thunderstruck. The fretboard is even and fine. The finger board might be slightly dry along the upper part of the neck (that's how mine came) but it's easily fixed with lemon oil. The finish is a normal transparent finish that is not too thick. The body style is obviously a Telecaster style type body and bridge type. It has a normal 2 single coils on it with black covers without any pole peice exsposure. It has a 3 way Switch for the coils also one tone control knob and volume knob. All the parts except the body and the neck and pickups are chrome plated. The tuners are standard Tele tuners (not Vintage ones). It comes with a 5 year warranty. // 6

Sound: It gives the legendary tele twang. Play mostly hendrix and music by most Tele players. I used a no name 25 watt amp and this axe still sounds great! The Tele isn't good for distortion or hard rock no matter what fx pedal you get it's mostly for blues and rock and stuff like Pink Floyd and The Beatles. There is not much buzzing on this guitar which makes it so good. It has a very bright twang to it and is great to get that Vintage tone. This guitar is good for bending too but when you get it there is a lot of fret buzz on the e and a strings but make sure to get everything setup when you buy it (truss-rod, pickup height, fret buzz, machine buzz). It should be right if you do that. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: The wood was alright. Nearly everything was well except the fret buzz. This guitar is an almost heavy duty guitar and can surbive pretty much anything. The tone control was a bit lifted off though and it still is. I think the build control is pretty crap though (but it was made in china by low paid sweatshop workers). I'm not bagging China but Squire does have bad quality control some Squire Teles are crap but some turn out good it varies a lot even if it's the same series. The fretboard was a bit dry though but nothing that can't be fixed. // 5

Reliability & Durability: This guitar can with stand pretty much anything except smashing it. This axe should do fine if you take care of it. The hardware should last a long time. I would gig with this guitar anyday. The finish is great it's very strong but not too thick. I've dropped a few screw drivers on it from repairing and nothing obvious appeares so it's very tough. // 9

Impression: This guitar ranks pretty good compared to actual fenders and I wouldn't buy it again if I lost it because I would want a second hand guitar to repair and modify (I'm a luthier). I love the twang! Don't realy have a fav. feature. It's great for a starter guitar but if you already have an Epiphone, Gibson, Ibanez or anyhting that costs over 400 bucks don't buy this guitar. // 7

overall: 7.8

Reviewed by: C40.is.hot, on october 19, 2006

Purchased from: Perfect Pitch.

Features: The Squier cali series was made in 2004. The neck's a nice maple with a rosewood fret board with 21 frets. Mine's in three-tone sunburst and is made of Agathis most likely. Obviously a tele-style guitar with an ashtray bridge. Has two single coil pickups with black pickup covers on them. The controls are a 3-way pickup selector and volume and tone knobs. Pickups are your bog-standard Squier singles which kind of suck. Stock Squier tuners. Mine came with a padded gig bag. // 7

Sound: I play a variety of styles ranging from Carlos Santana and Led Zep to something like Alexisonfire and Saosin and it suits some of them well. I play it through a Vox AD50VT or a Roland JC 20 depending on what the situation calls for. Some of the time it can get pretty noisy(mostly because it's a single/single guitar.). This guitar can make shimmering cleans to semi-distorted, crunchy chords with little difficulty. Be prepared for loads of feedback on the latter, though. // 7

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar was surprisingly well set-up for a Squier. Action was nice and low enough, bridge was well in place, pickups were adjusted fine. Couldn't see any flaws except that the tone knob and the pickup selector were a little loose. Good job on Squier's part. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I've gigged with it once and it looks to me that the guitar would defifinitely survive lots of gigs. I can see some corrosion on a part of the bridge, though. The strap buttons are decent. I put straplocks on just to be sure. The finish looks and feels good. Don't think it'll wear off anytime soon. I'd definitely depend on this guitar. This is my backup, though. My PRS being my main guitar. // 9

Impression: I play screamo to jazz and this guitar suits the "lighter" side of what I play. I've been playing for a little over 1 and 1/2 years and own a PRS Billy Martin SE, a Vox AD50VT, a Roland JC20 and a Maxon talk machine. I just wished I knew more about guitars when I bought this and asked for the wood material. I was planning to mod this guitar but when I found out it was made of Agathis, It kind of killed off my plans lol. If it were lost or stolen, I'd buy another guitar. Something tailored more to me. I compared it to a Squier Strat and a Washburn X10 and beat the Strat and Washburn in cleans but lost only slightly to the Washburn in distorted tones. I wish it was made with something like Alder or Basswood. Overall, a very good beginners guitar. // 8

Comments

[Sid McCall]

that's a maple fretboard in the picture...is that the wrong picture, or are there fretboard options?

[seek_&_destroy]

AHHHHH ITS SQUIER FOR GOD'S SAKE, NOT SQUIRE, SQUIER!!!!!

but really an agathis that sounds good? is it better then esp/ltd agathis guitars?

[BlindS!ght]

It's good for it's price, but I really don't like squires. It's not really good enough (too me) for gigs. I think you should get a little more expensive guitar for gigs to get the job done, but it's a good for learners.

[hemi-san]

aggreed^^

[croc76]

wat the heck how is it a maple fretboard(i dunno BUT it might be a special thing on the sunbursts ones) im not sure.

[Weybl Himself]

California series that's agathis? I've got an old Affinity Fat Strat that's cheaper than that guitar and it's solid Alder.

[firu82]

Well, for me is an excelent guitar. i have a Stratocaster California and is a very good guitar. Tought i play guitar since 1 year for me is excelent and well balanced between price-quality here in Argentina. The best of all is that it is solid !!. I´m going to buy this telecaster model soon and i´ll put some Dimarzio mic, cause i´m a Richie Kotzen 100% fan and I like the sound of the RK-145 (fender, of course). See ya !

[C40.is.hot]

I need to know what wood materials were used in the body because im not too sure? Does anybody know?

[croc76]

its agathis!

[bgarnham]

the bullet series (i think) has a better sound that the california series
i have the option of buying a bullet strat or a california stratocaster and i select the bullet because it has an harmonic sound

[Kirdy]

lol read the frekin review it's agathis ok!
zack nice work on the review man i gave it a helpful click!

[udaz]

Bullets are shit, the cheapest, the crapest

[lefthandbassguy]

you can get guitars so cheap in america! for a standed squire tele here its at least 500$!